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How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won is an epic western from 1962 , directed by John Ford , Henry Hathaway and George Marshall and consists of five more or less stand-alone parts: The Rivers, The Plains, The Civil War, The Railroad and The Outlaws. It's epic drama in which four generations of a family are followed as pulling westward from New York to the west of the U.S. between 1839 and 1889. The film was shot in Cinerama. A process that was used for documentaries. Before that time only This film process uses three cameras that are linked together and simultaneously the scenes shots from different angles. In the cinema three projectors for the amalgamation of the image on curved screens. Caused The film was inspired by a wide range of historical narratives and photo reports about the colonization of the American West that were published in the journal in 1959 Life . The screenplay was by author Louis L'Amour turned into a novel. In 1997 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress The film was a success in theaters with sales of $ 15 million - in 1962.A total of 35 million U.S. dollars, - are converted in the USA (January 1970). Content [ hide ] *1 Story **1.1 The Rivers (rivers) (1830) **1.2 The Plains (the Prairies (1850) **1.3 The Civil War (American Civil War) (1861-1865) **1.4 The Railroad (railway) (1868) **1.5 The Outlaws (bandits) (1880) **1.6 Epilogue *2 Cast *3 Background **3.1 Director **3.2 Actors **3.3 Cinerama **3.4 Recordings **3.5 Locations *4 Restoration *5 Awards *6 Continued *7 Music Story [ edit ] ''Read Warning : The following text contains details of the content and / or the end of the story.'' The film follows four generations of a family pulling westward between 1839 and 1889 and is divided into five segments and an epilogue: The Rivers (rivers) (1830) [ edit ] In 1830, Zebulon Prescott act with his family to give up. Comfortable life in a small town in New York State The Prescotts see great opportunities in the 'West'. In 1830, the West, the current state Illinois accessible via the Erie Canal.Before Prescott raft canal travel, they meet Mountain man Linus Rawlings. (A "Mountain Man" was a hunter and explorer who was particularly active in the Rocky Mountains between 1810 and 1880). Rawlings is the way to Pittsburgh to trade skins. The daughter of Zebulon Prescott, Eve, falls in love with Linus, and that is reciprocal. Linus would not, however, yet to capture. He travels further and arrive at an isolated trading post at the river. The station is owned by a group of river pirates led by a certain "Colonel" Hawkins. Linus is inserted by the daughter of Hawkins in the back and thrown into a deep cave. However, Linus is not badly hurt, and he knows salvage the Prescott family of an attack from the river pirates. The family continues the journey, but the damaged raft is gripped by a rapid and Zebulun and his wife drowned. Linus, who is still in love with Eve, returns to the hard-hit family Prescott. He married Eve, though he promise that he will continue to live in the place where Eves parents perished in future. The Plains (the Prairies (1850) [ edit ] In 1850 Lily Prescott, travels the sister of Eve, to St. Louis to work as a dancer in a seedy dance hall. She soon attracts the attention of gambler Cleve Van Valen. Valen hear that Lily has inherited a gold mine in California and along with a bunch of wagons to travel there. For the gambler all this doubly interesting, he is attracted to Lily and her gold he can pay his debts. He also travels with the bunch and tries to seduce Lily. He has this competition from the leader of the bunch, Roger Morgan. But Lily is totally charmed by both men and reject them, to the chagrin of her friend, Agatha Clegg, who is looking for a man. During the trip, the bunch wagons attacked by Cheyenneindianen . The cluster survives the attack and arrive in California. There appears to be the gold mine exhausted and Lily are looking for work as a dancer in a dancing in a makeshift village set. Cleveland has now disappeared, but Morgan takes Lily back and asks her to marry him. Lily refuses again. Not much later, Lily was adopted as a singer in the lounge of a luxury riverboat. Coincidentally Cleve on board and when he hears singing Lily he interrupts his poker game to ask for her hand. He tells her about the great opportunities that await them in the rapidly growing San Francisco . Lily said to want to marry him. The Civil War (American Civil War) (1861-1865) [ edit ] In 1861 the Civil War broke out as some southern states seceding from the United States and continues as the Confederate States. Linus Rawlings takes as a captain in the army of the Northern states (also called the Union mentioned).The son of Linus and Eve, Zeb, wants to escape from the farm and takes much against the wishes of his mother, even service in the Union army. During the bloody Battle of Shiloh Zeb discovers that the war is not as adventurous as he had thought. What he does not know is that his father was killed in the same battle. If Zeb meets a disillusioned soldier of the Confederate, they decide to desert together. Before Zeb however can flee, he hears the generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union talk. The soldier of the Confederate realizes that he can prove a service by killing. Both men south If he attempts to shoot, Grant and Sherman, he is stabbed to death by Zeb. Zeb returns to the army, and continues to fight for the Union. If the war ends in 1865, Zeb returns to the farm. His mother is now deceased, and Zeb now has no reason to stay. He does his share of the farm to his brother and go to the west, a new challenge. The Railroad (railway) (1868) [ edit ] In 1868 we are working hard on the opening up of the United States. The Pony Express has laid the groundwork for better communication and now is a transcontinental telegraph system under construction. Two railway companies have received concessions to connect to the west coast. East coast of the U.S. The Central Pacific Railroad began in the west and the Union Pacific Railroad to the east. Both railways conduct a merciless competition just to explain. Much rails In their wake kinds settlers traveling in search of new land. Zeb Rawlings is a lieutenant in the cavalry of the U.S. Army and has the thankless task of keeping a balance between the advancing railway companies and the Indian tribes peace. He will be given help from the older buffalo hunter Jethro Stuart, an old friend of Linus Rawlings. As an employee of the railways a treaty with the Indians flouts and will build on their sacred ground, turn the flash in the pan.The Arapaho revolt and chase a herd of bison through the camp of the railways, with dozens of casualties, including women and children. Disgust over the behavior of railway staff Zeb resigns and leaves for Arizona. The Outlaws (bandits) (1880) [ edit ] San Francisco in 1880, Lily Van Valen-Prescott, the widow of Cleve Van Valen sells her stuff. She is now bankrupt after she and Cleveland are several fortunes have hunted through. After she has paid off her debt, she travels to her only remaining possession, a ranch in Arizona. She invites her nephew Zeb Rawlings and his family to come along. Zeb, who has now been appointed U.S. Marshall travels with his wife to meet. Julie and his children to the train station to his aunt Lily Gold City At the station Zeb sees his old enemy back, the outlaw Charlie Gant. Zeb has ever shot the brother of Gant in a duel, and that the latter never forgive him. Gant threatens the family of Zeb and those seeking help from the Marshall Gold City, Lou Ramsey. Unfortunately for Zeb Ramsey could do little for him because Gant is not sought in the district. Zeb discovers that Gant is preparing a raid on a gold transport of railways. Along with Ramsey he lays an ambush for the bandits that ends in a firefight. Gant and his gang shot and Zeb can be relieved. Together with his family, and Aunt Lily Zeb travels to the ranch in Arizona. Epilogue [ edit ] A short epilogue shows Los Angeles and San Francisco in the early sixties. In particular, the Golden Gate Bridge and the famous vierdekssnelweg must indicate that the 'wild west' former has become a modern area. Cast [ edit ] Background [ edit ] Directed [ edit ] The five segments were directed by three directors. Henry Hathaway took the lion's share accounted for. He directed The Rivers, The Plains and The Outlaws. John Ford was responsible for The Civil War and George Marshall took The Railroad accounted for. Although he did not appear in the credits was Richard Thorpe responsible for many second unit work. Actors [ edit ] Plenty of stars from the early sixties were part of the actors. Nevertheless, a large number of stars being rejected or they own a roll. Marlon Brando , Kirk Douglas , Doris Day , Cary Grant , Audrey Hepburn , James Cagney , Bing Crosby , Frank Sinatra , Burt Lancaster , Shirley MacLaine and Kim Novak fell to a or other reason. Spencer Tracy was originally supposed to play a role in the film, but his health prevented this. He then took the role of the narrator himself. Bing Crosby that this was originally attracted then fell off. Gary Cooper was originally to play the role of Linus Rawlings, but died before filming began. He was replaced by James Stewart who actually (as indeed Cooper) was too old for the role. The character of Linus Rawlings, the scenario was a man of 28, Stewart was 54. Actress Hope Lang was chosen as the young Julie Stuart and the future wife of Zeb. But her scenes were cut from the film. For that reason, played the older actress Carolyn Jones Julie at older ages in the segment The Outlaws. There were so many stars that some actors were not even mentioned in the credits. This fate befell include Lee Van Cleef , John Larch ,Jay C. Flippen , Carleton Young and Harry Dean Stanton . The only actors who came back into multiple segments were Debbie Reynolds (Lily) and George Peppard (Zeb), she participated in three of the five segments. The character of Lily was originally drown in the first segment The Rivers, but the screenwriters changed this because they wanted to use as the unifying element in the film. Lily Raymond Massey played the role of Abraham Lincoln played on stage, in film and on television. In How the West Was Won Lincoln he played for the last time. John Wayne had the honor he was coveted by more directors .. He was initially selected for a role in a segment of Henry Hathaway, John Ford, but demanded that he got Wayne in the role of General Sherman in The Civil War. Besides numerous stars 1200 extras were hired, including some Indian tribes. Cinerama [ edit ] In the fifties a new film process was introduced: Cinerama. Initially, the process was only used for documentaries, but the early sixties it was also used for two feature films The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and How the West Was Won. The recordings were made with three cameras that were aligned and the same object from three sides shots. The left camera shot from the left, the object on the right, the right camera from the right object on the left and the third camera took the object from the front. Later, the films were from three 35mm projectors projected onto a large curved screen, which gave a sweeping effect to the film. Because the film consists of three parallel projected footage was not only to see a much larger space also the details were clear. So bright that the costumes could not be made by machine, but were sewn by hand, as was customary at clothing in the nineteenth century. This increased the cost, not just for the costumes, but also for the decoration of the much larger sets. One drawback was that, especially in the beginning, the seams were always see where the projected images fit together. The directors tried to hide by taking on that spot. Projection seams, trees, lampposts, houses, doors and chests that Most actors had little use for the system. Because the camera had a much longer range, the acting was on par with a performance on stage. Where a film camera normally just creates an intimate effect, in which an actor can act, very subdued there were the actors in Cinerama just play as if they were on stage. The result was that many actors clearly exaggerated acting in Cinerama films. Another problem with the several images that it was only after the films were projected side by side, and the synchronized relationship between the actors were pulled apart. The projection on the curved screen looks like the actors themselves do not make eye contact or react strangely to each other. It seems like they are watching over someone, rather than to each other, or just someone looking away from someone. Because this experience was gained with The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, the directors of How the West Was Won tried to compensate by letting looking away from the camera and pretending they watch their fellow actors. Actors and a different After completion of the synchronization process and the projection on the curved screen watched the actors on the screen or to each other. But it brought back so many problems for the actors who no longer knew where they had to look after that Cinerama How the West Was Won is no longer used for movies. At last The screen was so stretched that close-ups were almost impossible. Usually, the main actor in the middle was placed on the center camera, which was drawn up as close as possible. Most actors had difficulty in order to assist that looked like a giant machine under a black hood with three lenses. Near the camera It also posed a problem for director John Ford who used to sit next to the camera and thus follow the action. Directly Because the three camera lenses overlapped Ford was still partially in view. This was solved by cinematographer Joseph LaShelle that a structure built on top of the camera where Ford could sit. Because there were actually three films simultaneously recorded material costs were huge. To avoid waste of film material was the actors asked to know their lyrics by heart and adhere to the marked places in the recordings. To further reduce costs, the directors made use of material from previous Cineramadocumentaires as This is Cinerama (1952) (the opening scene of the film with the image of the Rocky Mountains and the epilogue with San Francisco and Los Angeles). The Alamo (1960) (the Mexican army marching) and Raintree County (1957) (a battle scene from the American Civil War). Recordings [ Edit ] The recordings were relatively rapidly, especially since the actors demanded that they should be known to avoid. "Bloopers" and thus wasting the footage their lyrics by heart For example, the scenes of the raft on the river from The Rivers in just seven days were included. The river boat that was used was also used for the documentary Raintree County in 1957. John Wayne also showed his professionalism prove his role of General Sherman to take in five days. In contrast, it took the recordings of Indians attacking the wagon bunch of six weeks. This attack was recorded in Lone Pine, California. In the scenario envisaged in a wagon which falls from a hill. The special effects department was put to work to create the public as it were sitting in the wagon. Illusion There were rails built on the slope of a small hill, and most of the wagon without wheels, was strapped to a flatbed trailer with a mechanism that the wagon had thrown forward and drove the trailer over the rails down. The camera was being put on the back of the trailer and oriented so that the stunt people were brought together with blankets, barrels and boxes rolled up together. Screen In total, we spent two days preparing. Then, the scenes with various sweepstakes was recorded. Eventually took the whole scene in the movie just five seconds. Harmless stunts were otherwise not. Stuntman Bob Morgan was seriously injured and even lost a leg in the filming of the last segment The Outlaws. At the end of the segment is a shootout between the two air marshals and the bandits. The firefight takes place on a moving train and Morgan who played a bandit was squatting next to a pile of wood on one of the flat wagons. Unfortunately broke the chain that held the wood together and Morgan was almost flattened by the sliding wood. He was so badly hurt that it took five years before he could walk independently again. Locations [ edit ] There were used various locations in the USA. The attack of the Indians of the wagons was included in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. The train station of Perkinsville, Arizona served as the station of Gold City in the Outlaw segment. It is still there. The Lone Pine campground in Lone Pine was the setting for the farm of the Rawlings. Further, included in other Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Battery Rock, Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, Cedar Mountain, Utah, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, in Durango, Colorado, the High Sierra Mountains, California, Monument Valley in Utah, the Rocky Mountains, Tucson, Arizona, and on the Ohio River in Kentucky. Restoration [ edit ] Television playback of a movie recorded in the Cineramasysteem years was not possible without considerable mutilation. The film itself was for that reason not much to see after 1962 and became in subsequent years more and more damaged by the ravages of time. In 2000, Crest Digital was commissioned to restore. Cineramanegatieven the original The company built its own Cineramaprojectieruimte to realize everything. They tried to integrate the image that was acceptable to a normal flat screen instead of the curved Cineramaschermen. Three films as On the last DVD and Blu-Ray edition, this aim is achieved. On the Blu-Ray is the film also shows the effect of a curved screen. Prices [ edit ] The film won three Oscars for Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Screenplay. Continued [ edit ] In 1979 made ABC Television TV series with the same name as the movie. A total of 11 episodes were made. Music [ Edit ] The film was inspired by an eponymous series of articles in Life. The article series was followed by a double album with western songs sung by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney . Some songs from the album like "Bound for the Promised Land" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" was also used in the film. Category:1962 films